Norovirus at hotel in Newport

Public Health Wales has confirmed that 74 people have fallen ill with suspected cases of norovirus after staying at the Hilton Hotel in Newport.

Public health officials said they were investigating why 51 guests and 23 staff members contracted a viral investigation at the hotel in Langstone.

People visiting the hotel started to become unwell and had symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

Newport City Council contacted Public Health Wales two days after the first cases of illness started.

Dr Lika Nehaul, a consultant in communicable disease control with Public Health Wales, said: "Investigations carried out by Newport City Council's environmental health team indicate that the illness was consistent with a viral infection passed from person to person, most likely norovirus."

Dr Nehaul added that the virus could be "easily passed" on and anyone who showed symptoms should not go back to work or school for 48 hours after they recovered.

A spokesperson for Hilton Worldwide said: "Unfortunately a number of guests and team members at Hilton Newport recently contracted symptoms consistent with norovirus, a virus passed from person to person."

"At Hilton Newport the wellbeing of both guests and team members is of paramount importance and as such, stringent existing health and safety procedures were immediately enacted as soon as we became aware of the reported illness."